Castro Prepares For Britney Spears Concert This Sunday

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Forget Bieber Fever–it’s all about Britney this week in San Francisco.

The city, particularly the Castro District, has gone into Britney Spears overdrive in anticipation of the pop superstar’s outdoor concert at the Castro Theatre on Sunday.
The free, hour-long performance will air Tuesday on ABC’s Good Morning America to coincide with the release of Spears’ latest album, “Femme Fatale,” according to ABC.

Admission to the concert, which begins at noon, will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Local Castro retailer Under One Roof, whose proceeds go to HIV/AIDS research, is celebrating all week by displaying a Britney Spears wax figure from the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Patrons who pay a suggested donation can be photographed with the figure, and on Friday evening, the retailer, located at 518 Castro St., is hosting a Britney Spears look-alike contest.

Supervisor Scott Wiener is scheduled to judge the contest, said David Perry, one of Under One Roof’s founders.

All proceeds collected by Under One Roof throughout the week will go to charitable contributions, Perry said.

Although some residents and businesses have voiced concerns about noise and street closures, Perry said he has only encountered “unanimous excitement” about the concert.

Castro Street was scheduled to be closed between Market Street and 19th Street because of the concert, but Good Morning America is now considering moving the performance indoors because rain is in the forecast for this weekend, San Francisco police Lt. Troy Dangerfield said.

Forecasters have said most of the showers could be over by Sunday, though, and Dangerfield said Good Morning America hasn’t made a final decision on where to hold the show.

If the concert is held outside as planned, the audience area will open up at 9 a.m., according to ABC. Lining up won’t be permitted, and wristbands will not be handed out.

“Any time a star of this magnitude comes to San Francisco it just proves what we already know: San Francisco is a wonderful hub for culture and pop music,” Perry said.

He added that Spears has been “incredibly supportive” of the LGBT community, and that featuring her wax figure is a way to thank her for all of her work and draw attention to Under One Roof’s mission.

Perry plans to attend the concert.

“I think I know exactly where I will be Sunday morning–along with thousands of other people,” he said.